Krishna asks mission in Australia for report on cabbie assault
By IANSWednesday, January 20, 2010
NEW DELHI - India Wednesday sought a report from its high commission in Australia after news of yet another assault on an Indian taxi driver in Melbourne.
I have just heard the news. I have sought a report from the Indian High Commission, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters here.
He said that the continuing attacks could affect bilateral ties.
A 25-year-old Indian taxi driver was assaulted in Melbourne Saturday and police Wednesday released images of a couple suspected to be behind the attack.
There was no evidence the attack was racially motivated, police maintained.
There has been a string of attacks on Indians in Australia with Indian taxi drivers being targeted in some recent incidents.
Two Indian taxi drivers, one of whom was a student, were attacked Jan 16 in Australia’s Ballarat city. The attack came a day after a man was sentenced to three months in jail for assaulting and threatening to kill an Indian taxi driver.
The spate of attacks on Indians in Australia has caused an outcry in India. Two of the vicious attacks proved fatal.
While Ranjodh Singh’s body was found Dec 29, another Indian, Nitin Garg, was fatally stabbed in Melbourne Jan 2. An Indian was set on fire in Melbourne Jan 9 while another Indian was assaulted at Coogee beach in Sydney Jan 11.
